Bars, restaurants, and other food and beverage venues have benefited in recent years from steady improvements in efficiency provided by point of sale systems and computerized ordering systems. The widespread use of smartphones allows venues to provide customers with the ability to place orders via smartphone applications, which are then often processed by the venue as take-out orders. Some venues provide their dine-in customers with tablet computers running menu and ordering applications which allow customers to both place their orders and pay from a tablet.
While these automated menu and ordering systems do allow venues to receive and process orders in a quick and efficient manner, they do have certain inherent disadvantages which cannot be easily overcome through more automation. For example, placing orders electronically reduces the element of human interaction between customers and servers which often forms an important part of the dining experience. Looking beyond table service, the crowded and dynamic environment of a bar or nightclub may nullify the speed gained through electronic ordering as it becomes very difficult for servers and bartenders to associate electronic orders with the customers who placed them. Lastly, even a highly efficient and accurate ordering system at a very busy bar does little to help an overworked bartender who, having only two arms and one set of eyes, cannot monitor orders, take payments, serve drinks to customers, and open bottle caps at the same time. Therefore, a solution is needed which combines the familiarity of personal service and the speed of electronic ordering to address the disadvantages listed above, and which is suitable for both table service and bar and nightclub environments.
In the present disclosure, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which the present disclosure is concerned.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate the present disclosure, no technical aspects are disclaimed and it is contemplated that the claims may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.